The family of Nigel Shelby, a 15-year-old black gay student who took his own life in 2019 after being bullied at his school in Alabama, has filed a lawsuit that argues that the City of Huntsville Board of Education violated Shelby’s civil rights by not providing him with sufficient support and protection, according to AL News.
During a press conference held two months after his death, Shelby’s mother, Camika Shelby, said: “I feel like from the bottom of my heart, if someone had said something, this could have been prevented.” She added: “He was failed by a system that was supposed to protect him.” The family is being represented by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who released a statement on social media saying: “School admin were aware of.